Rotary grain drier and cooler.



No. -732,561. v PATENTED JUNEYSO, 1903'.

A. JOHNSON.

ROTARY GRAIN DRIER AND COOLER. APPLIOAVTION FILED AUG. 2a, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

FILE; .1

UNITED STATES PATENT ll ateiitedd'une 30, 1903..

OFFICE.

ROTARY GRAIN DRIER AND COOLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,561, dated June 30, 1903. 7 Application filed August 26, 1902. Serial No. 121,111. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it" may concern:

Beitknown'that I, ADOLPH JOHNSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Grain Driers and Coolers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had 'to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to rotary grain coolers and driers; and its object is to provide a machine of special construction in that class of apparatusdesigned for the purpose of drying all kinds of grain and similar substances by hot and cold air or by either hot or cold air in connection with a rotary motion imparted to the material in order that it may be continually agitated and all portions of the charge of grain brought into the presence of the drying or cooling streamrof air. j

Each constituent element of my invention is describedin detail, and its individual office, together with the mode of operation of the whole, is fully explained hereinbelow.

I accomplish the objects stated by means of the mechanical parts and their association illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of

which- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in vertical section, to exhibit the internal parts; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view to illustrate that part of the interior of the revolving barrel which is absent in Fig. 1 in order to show the vanes or blades converging tothe hand-hole, which vanes are not shown in thefirst figure.

Like numbers refer to like parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numeral 1 designates the bed-plate casting, of any selected size and shape, having usually at its middle point a hopper 2 to receive the dried or cooled grain from the apparatus and direct it into any chosen receptacle placed beneath. Upon the bed-plate are erected the standards 3, 4, and 5, reading from left to right. Standards 3 and 4t suitably support journal-bearings 6 and 7 for a driving-shaft 8, carrying the fixed "trunnions 23 and 24 are hollow.

of the trunnion 2 1.

and loose pulleys 9 and 10 and a pinion 11, which engages eitherdirectlyor through other reducing-gear the large gear-wheel 12.

Number 13 marks the casing of the a'ppa ratus, usually a cylinder formed of riveted plates, having a lower opening 14 immediately over the hopper2 in the bed-plate, and this opening maybe closed by a sliding cover 15, as shown. At the top and ordinarily near the ends are two outlet-pipes 16 and 17, and

it is my practice to lead these discharge-pipes out of the building to get rid of the moist warm air coming from the grain. There is also a hand-hole 18 through the top of the casing 13, which is closed by the sliding cover 19 the endsof the cylindrical casing. These castings 20 and 21 arethemselves upheld by the standards 1 and 5, and, in fact, they are journal-bearings for thetrunnions of the revolving perforated barrel 22, located within the casing. As customarily constructed, the Theyare Casing 13 is i bolted centrally to the ends ofthe perforated barrel 22 and pass through the castings orbearings 20 and 21. On the'rightin Fig. 1 is shown one manner of connectingthe external air-pipe 25 with the trunnion24. The end of the air-pipe connection 26 fits into a cylindrical recess 27 in the outer end and upon the interior of the trunnion 2%. The air-pipe connection 26 possesses an integral collar or ridge 28, and this collar fits an annular recess 29 upon the interior and at the extreme end By means of a'ring 30, bolted on the outer end of the trunnion outside of collar 28, the air-pipe connection is re tained, and it may be held stationary, although the trunnion is revolved. The airpipe connection 26 is provided with a flange 31, by means of which it is bolted to the airpipe, as shown. I do not confine myselfto the precise mechanism illustrated in making the desired junction with the air-pipe, and may modify one or more of the parts as oocasion demands. The other trunnion, 23, of

the perforated barrel 22 passes through the casting 20, where it may be capped, as indicated, and upon it outside the casing the larger gear-wheel 12 is secured. It will now be understood that the barrel 22 may be rotated within the casing, the latter remaining stationary.

Within the perforated barrel 22 and attached to it and revolving with it are the vanes or blades, 32 and 33 being the referencenumbers for those shown in Fig. 1 and numbers 34 and 35 marking those shown in. Fig. 2. It will be observed that the vanes 32 and 33 converge toward the hand-hole 36, shown at the top and middle point of the barrel 22 in Fig. 1. The hand-hole 36 is furnished with a sliding cover 37. Fig. 2 is introduced particularly to show that the vanes 34 and 35 converge on the opposite side of the barrel from that illustrated in Fig. 1 toward the hand-hole 38, located at the bottom and middie of the perforated barrel 22 and provided with a sliding cover 39that is to say, the vanes on one side of the interior of the barrel converge toward one hand-hole, and upon the opposite side of the barrel they converge toward the remaining and opposite handhole. This arrangement of the vanes is similar to that set forth in my application for Letters Patent of the United States for a rotary steam-cooker, filed March 6, 1902, Serial No. 96,924, and for a like purpose. There is also located within perforated barrel 22 a perforated pipe or cylinder 40. At the right the open mouth 41 of the pipe 40 passes through the end 42 of the barrel 22 and is riveted thereto by means of an annular flange-iron 43. Month 41 of the pipe is thus presented directly to the hollow trunnion 24 and will receive the full volume practically of an air-blast delivered by the airpipe through its connection 26. At the other end the perforated pipe 40 is closed by the dished head 44, and a bolt 45 passes through the head into the trunnion 23, thus securing the closed end of the perforated pipe 40 to the contiguous end of the perforated barrel 22. The pipe 40 must therefore turn with the barrel, and air forced into the pipe will be delivered through its perforations to all parts of the barrel and reach every portion of any charge of grain contained by the barrel and continually turned and mixed by its relation. After passing through the grain the air escapes through the perforations of the barrel which are small enough to retain the grain and passes into the outer air through the discharges 16 and 17.

The barrel 22 is charged with grain by bringing either of its hand-holes 36 or 38 immediately beneath hand-hole 18 in the top of casing 13. The discharge of the grain into hopper 2 is effected by opening the two handholes 36 and 38 and causing the barrel 22 to revolve in such manner that the top in Fig. 1 (meaning its upper portion) will move from the observer. When this direction of rotation is given the barrel, the vanes 32, 33, 34, and 35 direct the mass of grain toward the hand-holes; but if the contrary direction be given the barrel the mass is moved from the vaasei off the supply of hot air or reducing its volume. The second branch 49 is open to cold air and includes the damper 50.

plain that I can serve either hot or cold air to the barrel 22, or mix the hot and cold air to any temperature, or gradually reduce the temperature of a hot-air blast or raise the temperature of a cold-air blast.

I am aware that driers have been constrncted possessing rotary perforated barrels within casings and air-serving means, and I do not claim those features broadly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a rotary grain drier and cooler, the combination of a stationary casing having outlet-pipes and diametrically-located handholes, a revoluble perforated barrel within the said casing having one end entirely closed, the perforated barrel being provided with handholes diametrically opposite each other and corresponding in position to the hand-holes of the casing, the said barrel having a hollow trunnion affording access to its interior, mechanism constructed and arranged to revolve the said barrel, a perforated cylinder axially disposed within the said barrel and opening into the hollow trunnion, said cylinder having one closed end, a stationary air-pipe directed into the said trunnion, a second air-pipe coupled to the said stationary pipe, a fan arranged to drive air through said pipes and into the perforated cylinder, a cold-ai r pipe leading to the intake of the fan and a valve operating in said cold-air pipe,an air-heater,a hot-air pipe leading from the heater to the intake of the fan and a valve operating in the said hot-air pipe, whereby the said fan may d rive hot or cold air or a mixture of the two through said perforated cylinder and barrel, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary grain drier and cooler, the combination of a stationary casing having hand-holes and outlets,a revoluble perforated barrel within the said casing, the perforated barrel being provided with hand-holes and having a hollow trunnion affording access to the interior of the barrel, mechanism constructed and arranged to revolve the said barrel, a perforated cylinder axially disposed within the barrel and opening into the said hollow trunnion, the said barrel having vanes attached internally on opposite sides conver- By means of dampers 48 and 50 it is believed to be gently toward opposite hand-holes, a stationary air-pipe directed into the said trunnion, a second airpipe coupled to said stationary pipe, a fan arranged to drive air through said pipes, a cold-air pipe leading to the intake of the fan and a valve operating in said cold-air pipe, an air-heater, a hot-air pipe leading from said heater to the intake of the fan and a valve vanes fixed upon the inside of the barrel, two

of the said vanes being attached to one side of the interior of the barrel and converging toward one of the said hand-holes, and two of said vanes being attached on the other side of the interior of the barrel and converging to the remaining hand-hole, whereby revolution of the barrel in a predetermined direction will cause its contents to be collected toward the said hand-holes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

H. J. JOHNSON, CHAS. P. WETZEL. 

